I should be studying for my mid-semester exam. Instead I’m doing this. I’ll be quick.
1. Annabel and Emma are starting a new meme – Six Degrees of Separation. I love the idea behind this and can’t wait to get started. Join in everyone!
2. The Miles Franklin 2014 longlist was announced today. Some people got their undies in a twist because Barracuda was left out.
3. We spent last weekend in Victoria’s beautiful King Valley. In my life BC (Before Children) I worked in catchment and water management. My work was all about rivers. Sometimes I forget the restorative power of rivers until I’m sitting next to one. Speaking of restorative, the trip also included wine, cheese and spectacular views.
4. And on another holiday front, we’re taking the kids to Uluru later in the year. I’ve been twice before (the first time in the days when people still climbed it) but looking forward to introducing the kids to “Australia’s Mighty Monolith”.
5. My review of Gabe Durham’s Fun Camp has been so well received that I might restrict all future reviews to four words.
6. Pyramid-selling schemes make me intensely uncomfortable. Am I alone?
7. I played an April Fool’s Day joke on my kids this year. I don’t ordinarily play pranks so it was completely unexpected. I went to great lengths to doctor a notice from school regarding a strict new ‘healthy’ policy on the contents of lunch boxes. In particular, the notice stated –
“It is understandable that the new approach will be met with some resistance. Therefore, we have decided that once a term we will have ‘Biscuit Day’, when children can bring biscuits, snack foods and white bread as part of their lunch.”
My son in grade-three cried “Well WHEN is Biscuit Day?!”
As we drove to school, their lunch boxes bursting with fruit, vegetables and bread of the extremely fibrous variety, I informed them that they’d been fooled. And they loved it. They loved the lengths I’d gone to with the notice and that they’d believed in Biscuit Day. *already planning next year’s prank*
8. On the topic of biscuits, the Mint Slice rules the world. And then I saw this cake…. I can’t even….
Christine at Bookishly Boisterous started this meme – get amongst it.
That cake! I’m supposed to be studying too, but now I think at least some of the weekend will be spent baking…
Same!
Am I the only person who thought that Barracuda was an overblown and thoroughly unpleasant book and vastly inferior to The Slap?
Ha ha! But no, you’re not the only one – check out what Jenny has to say (we’ve agreed to disagree on Barracuda!) – http://jennyackland.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/le-sigh-more-on-tsiolkass-barracuda/ All that said, I did like The Slap more.
That cake! Yum. And thanks for linking Kate. Yes there has been a bit of a kerfuffle about Barracuda not being on the MF longlist (to my mind it’s clear why it isn’t.) It’s a little validating I confess because I didn’t like the book myself, partly for content but also because of the way it’s written, but I am seeing some mean comments around about it, and those unsettle me. People should be able to respond to books honestly but respectfully, I hope I have been. Being a writer with my work sometimes in front of the publishers of these prominent prize-listed books, I don’t want to piss anyone off but at the same time, I buy a book, I read a book, I have the right to an honest opinion. But it is a bit tricky.
I love your April Fools! I played one on my class of seven year olds this year, telling them that lunch time would not only be 15 mins rather than an hour, to give them time to clean the classroom in preparation for the afternoon. They totally bought it 😛
Love it!
Those photos of King Valley and Uluru are gorgeous <3 I really, really want to go to Australia someday 🙂
I read about the Six Degrees of Separation meme, it does sound interesting! Definitely need to make a point of joining in on that at some point 🙂
Pyramid schemes can be so…. sad. I get getting involved if you’re just a shady m-effer, but for those that truly think they’re going to get rich, it’s just a little pathetic.